Trolley-track.



No. 776,836. PATENTED DEC. 6, 1904.

c. A. GOWER.

' TROLLEY TRACK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1903.

no MODEL.

%W%/ W HTTUR/VEY NlTiED Srrrrns Patented December 6, 1904.

ATENT FFICE.

TROLLEY-THACK.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,836, dated December 6, 1904.

Application filed July 20, 1903. Serial No. 166,298. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, (11 IARLns ARTHUR GowER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the tracks to be suspended overhead upon which trolleys or other wheeled devices run for the purpose of transporting loads from place to place; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to obtain a trolley-track which may be readily and economically constructed of either cast or wrought metal or a combination of the two; second, which whenever it is required may be conveniently finished by the use of machines; third, which will be easily and cheaply put together and put in place in the building; fourth, by reason of constructing the track in two separate pieces the tread on which the trolley-wheels run may be thick ened for greater durability and any particular hanger may be removed from its support without interfering with other hangers or with the track supported by them, and, fifth, by means of the peculiar construction of my trolley-rails they may be readily reversed, so that either of the lateral projections from the main body of the rail may be used as wearing or track surface on which the wheels run, thus adding greatly to the durability. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a cross-section through the track and hanger on the line XX. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a section of the track and hanger.

Referring to the drawings, the track itself is composed of rails A and C, preferably of a channel-shaped cross-section, as shown in the drawings. These rails are so shaped as to afford on their lower flange L a track for the trolley-wheel to run upon. The hanger is constructed with a body K, having a flat upper surface pierced with a bolt-hole, as shown in Fig. 1, for the purpose of attaching the track to a timber or other means of support I) by a bolt, as shown at E. The main body of the hanger is also pierced with holes F and (ir, adapted to receive plugs of wood, rubber, or other compressible material, which hear at one end against the timber supporting the hanger and at the other on the trolley-rails, holding the trolley-rails in position, so that they will neither slide lengthwise nor rattle in operation. Supports B extend downward from the main body of the hanger, shaped on the interior surface to conform approximately to the exterior surface of the rails A and O. The interior curve of the supports B and the exterior curve of the rails A and O are preferably so shaped as to retain the rails in position as shown in Fig. l, in which the interior curve of B is a segment of a curve. It will be readily seen that the rail A could not be displaced without drawing it in a longitudinal direction. For the purpose of retaining the rails in position a projection H is formed on the lower surface of the body of the hanger, which engages with the upper edge of the rails to assist in retaining them in position.

It will be readily seen that this trolley-track and hanger are entirely self-contained; that the minimum of fastening devices is required with a maximum strength, efliciency in operation, and ease and economy of construction.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination, a trolleytrack,composed of two channel-shaped rails having the flanges of said rails projecting inwardly with means for retaining same in position without the use of bolts or screws, substantially as described.

2. A trolley-track composed of two channelshaped rails having the flanges of said rails projecting inwardly, having their wearing-surfaces thickcned, in combination with means for retaining said rails in position.

3. In com bination, a trolley-track,composed of two channel-shaped rails having the flanges of said rails projecting inwardly with means for retaining the same in position and means for suspending the same from suitable supports, substantially as described.

4t. In combination a trolley-track composed of two channel-shaped rails having the flanges of said ails projecting inwardly, with means for retaining the said rails in position and means of suspending the same from suitable overhead supports substantially as described.

5. In combination with a trolleyrail,having its interior surface channel-shaped in crosssection and a hanger having its interior surface which engages with the exterior surface of said rail conforming thereto in shape and adapted to retain said rail in position without the use of bolts or auxiliary fastening devices.

6. In combination, two channel-shaped trolley-rails having the flanges of said rails projecting inwardly with a hanger adapted to retain said rails in position Without the use of auxiliary fastening devices, substantially as described.

7. In combination two channel-shaped trolley-rails having the flanges of said rails projecting inwardly with a hanger adapted to retain said rails at a fixed distance from each other, without the use of auxiliary fastening devices, substantially as described.

8. In combination, two channel-shaped trolley-rails a hanger adapted to retain said rails at a fixed distance from each other without the use of auxiliary fastening devices, with plugs mounted in the body of said hanger bearing at one end on the supports from which the hanger is suspended and on the other against the trolley-rails, substantially as described.

9. In combination two channel-shaped trolley-rails having the flanges of said rails projecting inwardly with a hanger adapted to retain said rails at a fixed distance from each other without the use of auxiliary fastening devices and means for suspending said hanger, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES ARTHUR GO WER.

itn ess es:

CLARK C. 7001), GENEVIEVE M. FULLER. 

